Information processing apparatuses such as personal computers or mobile terminals have a fingerprint authentication function. A user who uses such an information processing apparatus registers the user's own fingerprint data beforehand. With such an arrangement, the user presses his/her finger into contact with a fingerprint sensor arranged at a predetermined position before the user operates the information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus receives a fingerprint image of the finger thus pressed into contact therewith by the user, and verifies the fingerprint image thus received against the fingerprint data registered beforehand.
Such an information processing apparatus is required to perform authentication processing with high precision so as to prevent the occurrence of false authentication. In order to solve such a problem, for example, a vein authentication apparatus is known which registers multiple registration data acquired at different image-acquisition positions, thereby providing high-precision authentication even if the user's finger pressed into contact with the fingerprint sensor shifts position.
Furthermore, for example, a fingerprint verification apparatus is known which extracts the wrinkles and scars on the user's finger from the fingerprint image when the fingerprint data is registered, and the information with respect to the features related to the wrinkles and scars thus extracted is stored as the fingerprint data, in addition to the information with respect to the features of the fingerprint ridges, thereby providing high-precision fingerprint verification, even if the surface of the finger is rough or even if the quality of the fingerprint data is poor due to a great number of scars.
A kind of finger which the user can easily press into contact with the fingerprint sensor differs depending upon the position at which the fingerprint sensor is mounted on the information processing apparatus or the direction in which the user moves his/her finger on the fingerprint sensor. Specifically, in a case in which the fingerprint sensor has been mounted in the vicinity of the keyboard on a notebook personal computer (which will also be referred to as a “laptop personal computer”), the user can easily presses his/her second finger into contact therewith, as compared with his/her thumb. On the other hand, in a case in which the fingerprint sensor has been mounted in the vicinity of the display such that the user can press his/her finger sideways into contact therewith, the user can easily press his/her thumb as compared with his/her second finger.
Furthermore, some desktop personal computers, laptop personal computers, tablet PCs, and so forth have a function of allowing the display to be turned. In such an information processing apparatus, the position of the fingerprint sensor is also moved as the display is moved. That is to say, the kind of finger which the user can easily press into contact with the fingerprint sensor differs depending upon the position at which the fingerprint sensor is arranged and the position of the display.
However, the aforementioned techniques have been made without giving consideration to which kind of finger the user can easily press into contact with the fingerprint sensor. In some cases, this leads to a problem in that high-precision authentication processing cannot be provided depending upon the position at which the fingerprint sensor is arranged. For example, in a case in which the user has selected a kind of finger which cannot easily be pressed into contact with the fingerprint sensor when the user's fingerprint data is registered, in some cases, there is a gap between the user's finger and the fingerprint sensor, or the user's finger shakes. This leads to a problem of poor-quality fingerprint data being registered, leading to a problem in that the information processing apparatus cannot perform authentication processing with high precision.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-206991 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-352712 have been proposed.